~~December Golden Girls~~

We are about Fitness and Quality of Life after 50...
We are about Fun and Friendship after 50...
We are the Golden Girls...

There is Value in us
There is Power in us
There is Wisdom in us
And Laughter....
We are a rainbow of unique wonders,
There is love in us.
(poem by Dorothy Holmes)

Tell us a little about your life, family and goals. What keeps you motivated? What is the best thing that's happened to you since you passed the 50 mark? 60 mark? Friends laugh, cry and stand by each other, we'll be that to you!

Good Morning! I feel better today thank goodness. I think the combination of Tylenol Cold and Mucinex did the trick. Thanks for asking. At least it feels like it has helped this morning. We'll see how I feel after I get back from the mammogram this afternoon.

The inspection on this house was cancelled this morning and will be rescheduled for later this week. Still haven't heard about the house we made an offer on. He is an out of state owner and you would think since the house is sitting vacant he would at least answer with a counter or something. We will wait for a bit but don't have a lot of time to wait. It is only 43 days until the closing is scheduled for this house. This dance gets tired!

Well, I need to go this morning. I imagine I will need to do things in a s-l-o-w mode today. Everyone have a good day!!!

__________________ Karen

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.” ~

So we are getting ready for December! Can't believe how fast the months are passing by! I woke up early this am and finally got back to my stretch class. My favorite instructor was filling in and I got a really good stretch. The other gal is fine too but this one is just really special to me. Then I did 30 min at 7 on the stationery bike and 15 min at 3.5 on the treadmill and followed those with a couple sets of 12 reps on three weigh machines. Not much compared to some of you but that's good for me.

I've really gained since Thanksgiving! And I can tell the difference in how I feel...it's made me realize once again this need to lose weight is about much more than how I look or how clothes fit now...it is about my health. Because of my getting off track since Thanksgiving, I've had high bs and the neuropathy in my hands and feet has come back. It pretty much disappeared when I was eating the MF way! Since I have grocery money for Dec I ordered more MF products. I will still eat a modified MF diet but it does help me. I ordered only foods I know I like plus a few individual items of things I think I'll like.

Karen31 - I can imagine your frustration at waiting for everything to happen with the houses! I feel that way about our house in AZ. Found out last night the carpets are not yet cleaned and the pool guy is going back to clean it. I hope both those things are done today, but the realtor was to take pictures today. So don't know whether that will be done now or now. Ads (with pics) were to go up tomorrow. I SO want to get this all over and done with! She told me Dec is not a good time for getting many lookers but said the ones that do look are usually serious, so hope one of those "serious" lookers WILL take a look!

Have any of you started your Christmas shopping? I have started...have 3 people finished and 3 or 4 others started.

Dh is calling me and I have nothing else to talk about so will close. Have a good day everyone!

Good morning, everyone! I have to run now to get to the gym, 50 minute walk there and then want to do some weight training, then into the office today (3xweek gig). But I have a lot to do before I can get out. It's already 7 a.m.! But just wanted to say, thanks for all the support! I was great yesterday on all fronts. Even the no smoking. I was thinking how tough it was, feeling this fighting going on inside, wanting a cig and then I just thought, no, heck, it's NOT hard. I WANT to do this and I can...easily. Really, I mean, I do a LOT of things that are super hard. It must be my Leoine adolescent stubbornness but when I WANT to do something there's no stopping me. So, changing my thinking may be the trick. I am pysched. I may have found my mantra and found my way back to what was a much tougher me in past years!! Hurrah!!

Hi everyone. we had another 6 inches of snow last nite. its beautiful out and above 0. i gave myself a perm and trim early this morning,my hair is starting to grow back,i lost a lot of it after my surg. its shorter and kinda spiky in the back. im pleased with the results. just got back from the grocery store. i wasnt going to bake but like to give cookies and fudge as gifts and my gr kids asked (sigh) how can i say no to them. so got the ingrediants for fudge,spritz(pressed butter cookie) roll out sugar cookies, and tea time tassies(like a mini pecan pie) and russsian tea cakes. and finnish bisquit( asweet bread) whew the trick will be to not taste.my dh voluntered Maryea. glad you liked the book,its one of my favorites. karen 31 feel better soon. hoping you all are having a great day (((hugs))) rosey

Mary, I've got about half of my shopping done. I'm leaving on Monday to deliver some of them at DS's house. I want my little Boo to have his by Christmas. Not sure if we'll see them until after Christmas day. My MIL has all hers done. She wrote checks and put them in the Christmas cards. LOL.

Red, glad you're so happy with yourself today.

I put in a very long afternoon at the Goodwill and Food Bank today. The place was a mess yesterday and we just didn't get a chance to get it tidied up before we left. So today my friend and I went there a bit early and started cleaning up the mess. The shelves looked like a tornado had gone through. Clothing slung around everywhere. There were so many stuffed animals taking up good shelf space that I tied them up with yarn and had a public hanging. Ha. I hung them up on the wall. I stacked up all the used books in neat piles and put the housewares shelves in order. Then another lady came and started on the shoe rack. Then I went into the food bank area and started unpacking food that had been delivered that morning. When I came out the clothing shelves were so neat and clean looking, I was impressed with the ladies who had done the work. Now, tomorrow we'll have to do it all over again. But at least it's easier to get around there now.

Tomorrow morning I'm taking my MIL shopping. It won't be a long trip though because she gets tired. Last time I took her shopping I thought the family would blame me for killing mother. She was so tired I thought she was ready to collapse but she wouldn't take a rest or sit down until we got to the car. So tomorrow we'll only shop for a couple of hours. Then it's off to the Goodwill again.

Take care everyone.
See you all tomorrow.

Hey, there Rosie, we were posting at the same time. I used to give my mother a perm but giving one to myself would be beyond my reach. How do you get all those curlers in your hair. Even when I did it to mom it was hard getting all the hair curled around the rods. I made spritz cookies this year. I used a pastry bag and large star tip instead of my cookie press. So much easier. I used to make Russian Tea Cakes all the time. I really like them but haven't made them for some time now. I think I'll add them to my 2011 Christmas Food List.

I have had a very busy day at work. I has been one of those days where I have just been a little off all day I swear I would lose my mind if my head wasn't attached (a favorite saying of my beloved Grandma).

Red, YAY You sound so good today! I love it. Nothing beats attitude

Mary, I can't believe that it is December..... I have barely started shopping and I need to kick it in gear. I shop almost exclusively online so I need to get stuff ordered. I absolutely hate shopping. I am thinking positive thoughts on your house situation. Glad that you are ordering MF, it seemed to give you confidence. I can relate so much to the idea that this is about our health, and not just how we look.

Karen, glad that the cold is passing in a hurry. I can't imagine how stressful it is to be dealing with all the house stuff. I hope you get an answer soon. I sure liked the pictures of the new house.

Bobbi, thanks for starting the new thread. I hope you are having a good day!

Well, I will catch personals on everyone else in the morning.... I am off to finish work and then pool league tonight. The weather forcast is for several inches of snow....

Hey GGs,
I’ve been trying to get myself in the mood to get started decorating for Christmas. And, I need to start getting some of the cooking done, & put in the freezer. So far it all just seems to require too much effort (& I’m just so lazy). The first thing I’d like to get accomplished is baking the fruit cakes - I have to bake two, one for my household & one for my mom’s (she buys half the ingredients, they get more & more expensive each year!). I’ve been wondering, are most of y’all fruit cake lovers, or fruit cake haters? I only like the fruit cakes my family (now only me, actually) makes. Ours only have candied pineapple & cherries, & pecans (plus your basic flour, butter, sugar & flavorings). I thought it was odd that all the ladies, on both my father’s & my mother’s sides of the family (even my step-grandmother), used basically the same recipe, until I inherited my maternal grandmother’s recipes. The ladies I mentioned, all lived in central FL, & I discovered several newspaper clippings, cut out of the Tampa (FL) Tribune, that had the recipe for “Mrs. Harvey’s White Fruit Cake” - the same recipe they’d all used, except for some minor variations. Mystery solved! Anyway, how do y’all feel about fruit cake? Oh, my SO loves ours (though he also likes the “store-bought” ones), & when he finds out someone doesn’t like fruit cakes, he tries to talk them into trying ours. We all tell him to “shut up!!” because we already have too many people we have to share ours with (I really ought to make 3 or 4, but at least this way, I never get to eat more than one or two small pieces).

While I’m on the subject of holiday food, have any of you heard of “boiled custard” that you drink? I’m thinking Freda probably has, since she’s from KY. That’s where my great-grandmother was from, & she’s the one that made it. I was surprised to see a recipe for it in Better Homes & Gardens (I think the Nov. issue). It’s like a cooked version of eggnog, without the nutmeg - very rich, very good, & very fattening! I won’t be making any, but I sure would like to!

I’m still “celebrating” the Pollyanna Holiday with positive thoughts. And isn’t it a good excuse for putting off all that “Christmas stuff”?! Thanks KarenFL for the holiday, & Isabella for coming up with the name (I’d been trying to figure out what to call it), & Marie for pointing out that Isabella had come up with the name. Luckily for me, my SO is getting to enjoy the holiday too, with today & the rest of the week, off from work (more sleep-in days for me, I love it!). He had some vacation days coming, & work is slow right now.

Well, time for my nightly snack, & then some reading. Hope everyone that’s been feeling “under the weather” is all better now (Donna, you don't sound much better, sorry!), & that all of y’all have enjoyed this little extra holiday as much as me. I guess tomorrow I might just have to get started on some of this stuff I’ve been putting off, but tonight’s still Pollyanna time, so I’m not going to think about it. Oh, & Rie, my grandma used to say that too. And my great-grandma & my great-aunt, come to think of it.

Well, I made it through the day.. the mammogram is done and I will probably get the results in a couple days. It doesn't take long anymore. We had planned to go to Advent services tonight at church but after being out this afternoon and then fixing some supper (mac and cheese with hot dogs in it-- worked hard on that one!) I set down on the couch and just ended up freezing again and really tired. Think it is best we didn't go and be out in the night air and also I sure didn't need to spread my germs around anymore than I already did today. So I'm wrapped up in the afghan again on the couch and playing on the laptop.

We haven't heard anymore on either house yet. Hopefully we will tomorrow. There is only 43 days until the people that want to buy ours want to close. Now I just need to find the energy to get everything boxed up and ready to move. At least we don't have to pack everything so secure since we are just moving a short distance and not across Kansas!!

Donna, I hope you are feeling better. I know I'm not over it but hopefully I can still function enough to get stuff done. I'm hoping we will be able to at least move some stuff into the garage at the new house before closing. Kind of hard to have both closings the same day if we can't get stuff moved out of here before. I guess it will all work out--- maybe I just like to worry!

Well, I think I'm going to sit back and relax, actually I think I want something to drink, my mouth is dry.

Hello to everyone. I'll be happy to get over this cold and hopefully be able to get personals done. have a good night

__________________ Karen

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.” ~

It is a short one tonight. I have to go in early tomorrow, so I'd better get done and quit goofing off and get to bed before too much longer. 4:30 am comes too soon. Thankfully I got out of work on time tonight.

They are updating the computer programs that we use for order entry, charting and most everything. So we have to do "down time" proceedures. Everything we usually do will have to be done on paper tomorrow until they get the new system up and running. I'm wondering why they didn't do it on a weekend when things are usually a little less busy. Then for our continued enjoyment and pleasure of the day, they are also having a "mock" survey (make believe that the state or federal surveyers are here). Wonder who on earth brilliant idea it was to do this on the same day when everything will already be in chaos.

Did have some fun and laughter here this evening. I am here on my lap top and a call came thorugh on the skype thing. It didn't give any name, so I dismissed it. I wondered if it was DH goofing around. He has gotten one of those tablet (HTC flyer) things and we were calling each other the other day to practice how to use skype. So, I called him ~ it had not been him. He could only see my face from the nose up and told me that I needed to tilt my screen. I told him if I tilted my screen I couldn't see it and that he didn't need to see my whole face anyway. I told him it was this shortness problem I have. He told me maybe I needed to sit on a pillow and I told him I already was. I commented that his hair was all messed up like he had been the wind and he said ~ that actually that is exactly what had happened, as he had just been out to the mail box. We were having fun laughing and joking around ~ laughter is good

Ok, I will have to catch up with you all tomorrow. Hope you all rest well and if you're not feeling so good ~ that you will feel better.

Take care

__________________
Gayle
One day at a time ~ never giving up!!

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance. (From Karen31's post)

Oh dear, late again, I'm afraid. Well, first things first: 1159 calories today and 41.3 grams of fiber. Lotsa liquids....black coffee, diet (10 calorie) cranberry juice and diet ice green tea. Just my third day back on the wagon, but it feels like I'm getting into the groove.

And now...omg. December already! I can hardly stand it!

Feel better, Caddyk and PT. I think I'm finally dragging out of that slump I've been in with the lingering bronchitis. Slept very well last night...didn't wake up coughing, so that's progress. Now I have a few sneezing/coughing fits during the day, and that's about it.

Nancy, I've made that simple fruit cake recipe...using just the cherries and pineapples...actually, I think I've also put in some dried apricots from time to time, but not that other stuff...what are those little colored chunks of hard jelly-like things that a lot of the store-bought fruit cakes have in them? I hate those little boogers. Oh, I put walnuts in mine too..chopped coarsely. Yum.

Val, I'm a little "off" every day. This countdown to retiring is a pain in the neck! The shorter it gets, the more annoying it seems to get....oh, well...just 5 more months and I'll bust out of there...

Rosey, are we going to see a picture of the new perm? MORE snow? Oh, ugh. So far, all we had was that freak October storm, and the temperatures have been in the 50's and 60's ever since. (I'm thinking I may owe a debt of gratitude to K3...she may have blown some tropical air up this way just to be nice.)

Red, you can most certainly do whatever you decide you want to do! We all can! I'm feeling a lot more empowered this week, too for some reason. I'm liking it a lot.

Well, that's all for now....G'nite, GG's!

Z

__________________
"Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the ground each morning the devil says, 'OH CRAP, SHE'S UP!'"

Gayle, I’m trying to take a long time to make it. Sort of like a decadent chocolate dessert – make it last. I really am out of windows so I have to be slow. I hope your day tomorrow isn’t as yucky as you’re anticipating.

Rie, LOL at BMF. At least you gave the guy a great compliment.

Mary, I actually got a letter from my secondary insurance yesterday reminding me that I haven’t had a mammogram and to get to it. It was odd. Of course, that wasn’t the case since my primary paid May’s mammo and secondary will be paying for December’s. I was surprised they wanted me to spend their money. And, great job on the exercise. Never, ever compare your efforts with anyone else. You are doing awesome! Stay positive about your efforts.

Zoe, I saw they put up a new guard rail on the bridge sometime today. I’m glad as I noticed where it was missing was straight off the bridge since the road curves right after the bridge. And way to go on the calories. I hope your arm feels better soon. I know that you will miss your bench presses!

Isabella, I’m a licker too!!!! I found the only way to stop is to chew a minty gum. And even then, I’ve been known to hide it in my cheek and still lick batter. I love batter. BTW, your ingredients sound awesome except the PB. Actually that sounds yummy but they’d kill me.

Donna, I swear you’ll be an exercise convert before long. Exercising equates to the body moving easier, especially at our age. Yep, Rie, Lynn and I will convert you before long.

KarenMO, glad you feel better. You have tons to do and being sick makes it nasty. Did you put an expiration on your house offer?

Red, glad to see you are psyched about the fight. You will win the battle as long as you keep fighting.

Rosey, I lost a bunch of my hair on the back right side when I lost weight a couple decades ago on a VLCD. Fell out in clumps. I’m glad yours is growing back and I can assure you it will continue to do so.

Isabella, did you read about the elderly man that didn’t trust banks (wise man) had hid his savings in a suit and then mistakenly gave it to Goodwill? It was a sad article as Goodwill can’t find the donated suit. Anyway, thank you for all the volunteer work you do.

Nancy, fruit cake hater here but I do buy glace fruit. I use it in the Czeck holiday bread Houska. And the glace fruit is getting to be a fruity gold. It is expensive.

And I want Pollyanna holiday to continue through Christmas. Can we do that?

It’s my bedtime and I’m going to stop here even though I had some caffeine the afternoon. I was yawning and thinking a nap as I drove would be a great idea. So I added a little caffeinated espresso beans to my afternoon mocha. Zing, I’m away. There is a nice side of being decaffeinated 99% of the time. BTW, the scale moved in a good direction this morning. At some point I’ll start posting loss numbers but for now, I’m behind Zoe on day 2 of being an Marie

Hi everyone. spent a really nice day,my dh can make me laugh better than any one. heres a pic of my new hairdo. the bangs got really thin but have thickened up but i would like them to grow longer. my hair was really thin and falling out in klumps for awhile.i thought id go bald and was seriously looking for a wig, but it stopped and started to grow back. i have always cut and permed my own hair. seems i always would rather spend the extra $ on books and craft stuff then at the beauty shop hope your evenings peaceful (((hugs)) rosey